diff --git a/etc/emacsclient-mail.desktop b/etc/emacsclient-mail.desktop
index 8d51dcdd2fc..f96e8a3c97f 100644
--- a/etc/emacsclient-mail.desktop
+++ b/etc/emacsclient-mail.desktop
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [Desktop Entry]
 Categories=Network;Email;
 Comment=GNU Emacs is an extensible, customizable text editor - and more
-Exec=sh -c 'exec emacsclient --alternate-editor= --display="$DISPLAY" --eval "(message-mailto \"%u\")"'
+Exec=sh -c "exec emacsclient --alternate-editor= --display=\\"\\$DISPLAY\\" --eval \\\\(message-mailto\\\\ \\\\\\"%u\\\\\\"\\\\)"
 Icon=emacs
 Name=Emacs (Mail, Client)
 MimeType=x-scheme-handler/mailto;
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Actions=new-window;new-instance;
 
 [Desktop Action new-window]
 Name=New Window
-Exec=emacsclient --alternate-editor= --create-frame --eval '(message-mailto "%u")'
+Exec=emacsclient --alternate-editor= --create-frame --eval "(message-mailto \\"%u\\")"
 
 [Desktop Action new-instance]
 Name=New Instance
diff --git a/etc/emacsclient.desktop b/etc/emacsclient.desktop
index cd45463093b..0feec67da50 100644
--- a/etc/emacsclient.desktop
+++ b/etc/emacsclient.desktop
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Name=Emacs (Client)
 GenericName=Text Editor
 Comment=Edit text
 MimeType=text/english;text/plain;text/x-makefile;text/x-c++hdr;text/x-c++src;text/x-chdr;text/x-csrc;text/x-java;text/x-moc;text/x-pascal;text/x-tcl;text/x-tex;application/x-shellscript;text/x-c;text/x-c++;
-Exec=sh -c 'if [ -n "$*" ]; then exec emacsclient --alternate-editor= --display="$DISPLAY" "$@"; else exec emacsclient --alternate-editor= --create-frame; fi' placeholder %F
+Exec=sh -c "if [ -n \\"\\$*\\" ]; then exec emacsclient --alternate-editor= --display=\\"\\$DISPLAY\\" \\"\\$@\\"; else exec emacsclient --alternate-editor= --create-frame; fi" placeholder %F
 Icon=emacs
 Type=Application
 Terminal=false